Incident Code

CI001

Location

سنجار, Sinjar, Nineveh, Iraq

Geolocation

36.3206914, 41.8641115
Accuracy: Town

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: December 15, 2024

(Previous Incident Code: I001)

According to the German news agency DPA, the first known civilian victims of US bombing in the campaign occurred on August 16th, eight days into the air war. According to DPA, witnesses informed the agency’s reporter that “11 civilian were killed by a US airstrike when they chased [ISIL] fighters in Sinjar but its rockets missed them, targeting civilian houses and killing 11 persons west of Mosul.”

Al Jazeera also reported that 11 non-combatants had died, adding that additional civilians may also have been killed on US strikes after August 8th: “Medical sources from the city’s hospital in Mosul said that the bodies of more than two dozen people from IS killed by US raids on northern Iraq were received.”

 

Key Information

Country
Military Actor
Civilian Harm Reported
Yes
Civilian Harm Status
Fair
Reported by two or more credible sources, with likely or confirmed near actions by a belligerent.
Civilians reported killed
11

Geolocation Notes

Local reports of the incident only mention residental buildings in Sinjar ( سنجار ) district, Nineveh province. The coordinates for Sinjar town are: 36.3206914, 41.8641115  

Sinjar ( سنجار ) district outlined in red

Imagery: © 2018 Google

Military Statements

U.S.-led Coalition Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S.-led Coalition
U.S.-led Coalition position on incident
Non credible / Unsubstantiated
Reason for non-credible assessment
a:1:{i:0;s:20:"no_coalition_strikes";}
Civilian deaths conceded
None
Civilian injuries conceded
None
Stated location
near Sinjar, Iraq
U.S.-led Coalition Strike Report
A single US airstrike was confirmed in Sinjar August 15th, with six in the vicinity of Mosul Dam the following day. For August 15th-16th 2014: “U.S. military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Iraq yesterday, with remotely piloted aircraft successfully conducting airstrikes on two armed vehicles south of the village of Sinjar. After receiving reports from Kurdish forces that ISIL terrorists were attacking civilians in Kawju, a village located south of Sinjar, U.S. aircraft identified and followed an ISIL armed vehicle to a roadside area. At approximately 10:10 a.m. EDT [1910 local], U.S. aircraft struck and destroyed two vehicles in the area.”
U.S.-led Coalition Civilian Casualty Statement
2018-06-28
Original Source
After a review of available information it was assessed that no Coalition strikes were conducted in the geographical area that correspond to the report of civilian casualties.